Netanyahu Wants Soldiers Prosecuted After They Spoke About Alleged 'Industrial-Scale' Killings in Gaza Documentary 'NAZA'

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has demanded a criminal investigation into military personnel who gave anonymous testimony for NAZA, intensifying a dispute over allegations that Israel's Gaza targeting practices exposed civilians to mass casualties.

In a letter dated 11 October, Netanyahu called on the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) chief of staff, the head of domestic intelligence agency Shin Bet, and the attorney-general to identify those involved and pursue prosecution for alleged information security offences, criminal defamation, and harm to Israel's diplomatic and security interests.

He described the documentary as a 'false, misleading, and programmatic libel.' The demand does not mean charges have been filed or that the interviewees have been found guilty of any offence.

The development raises a question beyond the film's disputed claims: whether the ensuing investigation will focus primarily on the disclosure of military information or also prompt closer scrutiny of the targeting practices described by the anonymous sources.

What the Documentary Alleges About Gaza Strikes

Directed by Israeli journalists Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, NAZA features 24 anonymous military and intelligence interviewees who describe what they say were the practices behind Israel's air campaign in Gaza. The film takes its name from a Hebrew military acronym associated with expected collateral casualties. Its contributors allege that intelligence systems used surveillance data and artificial intelligence-assisted tools to identify potential targets, including people in residential settings.

One account describes an alleged approval for a strike expected to kill as many as 500 civilians in an attempt to hit a single target. Another contributor describes civilian deaths as occurring on an 'industrial scale'.

These are claims presented through anonymous testimony, not findings established by a court or independently verified in this article. The allegations concern the conduct of Israel's military campaign following the Hamas-led attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, which killed around 1,200 people and resulted in hostages being taken.

IDF Disputes the Film's Central Claims

The IDF has rejected the documentary's account. In a detailed response published on 1 October, the military said it had never planned, approved or carried out a strike in Gaza in which 500 civilians, or anything close to that number, were expected to die. It also denied that artificial intelligence independently selects targets or authorises attacks. The military said human intelligence analysts identify potential targets, while authorised personnel and operational commanders take part in the assessment and approval process.

The IDF has challenged the reliability of the anonymous testimony, arguing that the interviewees' identities, military roles, and knowledge of the decisions described cannot be verified from the material made public. It maintains that its rules distinguish between combatants and civilians and require steps to limit civilian harm.

The military has also said that personnel who witness suspected violations are required to report them so that authorities can assess whether an investigation is warranted. The opposing accounts leave the central allegations contested. Netanyahu's demand concerns the people involved in the film and the potential offences he believes should be investigated; it does not itself resolve the factual dispute over individual strikes or military procedures.

Political Backlash Puts Whistleblowers Under Scrutiny

The controversy has extended beyond the prime minister. Culture Minister Miki Zohar previously called for an investigation into how the filmmakers obtained their material and raised the possibility of revoking their Israeli citizenship, alleging that the film harmed the country's interests.

The filmmakers have faced criticism from other Israeli politicians, while more than 700 members of the film industry signed a petition condemning what they described as a campaign of vilification. The documentary received the Special Jury Prize at the Venice International Film Festival in September.

The film's reception has turned the treatment of military sources into a wider debate about accountability, national security, and the public's ability to scrutinise wartime decisions. The legal question is whether the alleged disclosures or other conduct meet the threshold for an offence; the separate question is whether the claims about civilian harm warrant further examination.

Netanyahu's demand has opened a new front in the dispute, but the outcome of any investigation remains unknown. Neither the demand for prosecution nor the IDF's rebuttal establishes, by itself, whether the allegations in NAZA are true.